Crohn’s & Ulcerative Colitis

Disorders of the gastrointestinal tract where the body’s immune system mistakes food, good bacteria, or other materials as harmful or foreign substances and sends an immune response to the GI tract.

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    Ulcerative Colitis

    Ulcerative Colitis (UC) is a disorder of the colon where the body’s immune system mistakes food, good bacteria, or other materials in the colon as harmful or foreign substances and sends an immune response to the colon. The ensuing immune response causes inflammation, and small sores and ulcers to appear in the lining of the colon. This leads to general lower abdominal discomfort and frequent emptying of the colon. This differs from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) due to the fact that IBS causes spasms of the muscles of the colon. Also it is important to differentiate UC from Crohn’s as Crohn’s can affect any part of the GI tract (stomach, large intestine, small intestine, colon, etc) but UC is colon specific. Bouts with UC can last day, months, or years, then symptoms may subside for days, months, and years. This makes it difficult to evaluate the disorder. A cause is yet unknown, but modern research points towards genetics, the person’s environment, and a faulty immune system. Treatment options include modifying diet and exercise, steroid medications to reduce inflammation, a class of medications known as Aminosalicylates (5-ASA) which also help in reducing inflammation, and biologic immunomodulators such as Humira® which repress the immune system and prevent it from attacking healthy tissue. All-care carries all treatment options and will work with your doctor’s office to dispense the most effective medication therapies and also will assist your doctor in getting coverage through your insurance for your medications. Common Medications Associated with Ulcerative Colitis (click the medication name to be taken to the manufacturer’s web page):

    The following links provide additional resources for Ulcerative Colitis patients:

    Crohn’s

    Crohn’s disease is categorized as an Inflammaory Bowel Disease (IBD) affecting any segment of the GI tract from mouth to anus. It involves inflammation (swelling) of gi tissue. Unlike ulcerative colitis where only the inner lining of the colon is affected, Crohn’s can affect the entire thickness of the gi tract. Crohn’s is also different from ulcerative colitis in that it can affect multiple spots within the gi tract at the same time. For example, you may have affected tissue next to healthy tissue, followed by another segment of affected tissue. Some symptoms associated with Crohn’s include frequent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, abdominal cramps, and constipation. Crohn’s is caused by the body’s immune system attacking harmless gut bacteria and healthy tissue. Crohn’s has been shown to have a genetic component to it and may also be affected by the patient’s environment. Treatment options include modifying diet and exercise, steroid medications to reduce inflammation, a class of medications known as Aminosalicylates (5-ASA) which also help in reducing inflammation, and biologic immunomodulators such as Humira® which repress the immune system and prevent it from attacking healthy tissue. All-care carries all treatment options and will work with your doctor’s office to dispense the most effective medication therapies and also will assist your doctor in getting coverage through your insurance for your medications. Common Medications Associated with Crohn’s (click the medication name to be taken to the manufacturer’s web page):

    The following links provide additional resources for Ulcerative Colitis patients: